Solar Water Heaters

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We’ve discussed the benefits of tankless water heaters on another page of our site and here we will get into the features and benefits of the solar water heater.  There are some overlap in similarities and we will discuss those as well as some of the differences.  When it comes to sustainability, there are no right or wrong black and whites as far as conservation goes; every little bit helps.

The 'insides' of a solar water heater.In terms of products for your home, there are some things that we like better than others, but this is more of a personal standpoint than a ‘deal-breaker’ type of issue.  In other words, any time you are doing your part to contribute in a way that conserves energy, water or other natural resources and helps you to live more lightly on the planet, you are doing it ‘right’.  So, as we get into this discussion of solar water heaters, keep this in mind.

What is the main distinction between a solar water heater and a traditionally powered one?  Depending upon the type of fuel your water heater uses for heating:  electrical or gas powered, you may find little difference.  In other words, a traditional system has a large tank of water, let’s say 80 gallons.  Water requires a significant amount of energy to heat (and cool for that matter) because of its natural properties.  Incidentally, this is why geothermal heating and cooling systems work, but that is for yet another article.  So, what you have is a large pot of water that needs to be heated to some (set) temperature.  You can control just how hot you want that water to stay, but that is about all with a traditional unit.  You can turn it to ‘vacation’ mode on newer units so that it doesn’t continuously heat water while you are away.  This does save energy and is an advancement over previous models.  However, you are still left with this large amount of water to heat inside the tank.

There is a key distinction between the way the water is heated.  The way that the models vary is unique, but the principle is the same.  Some models have ‘panels’ on the roof that have the tubules that carry the water.  Other styles have the tubes sandwiched between an exterior, often south-facing, wall of your home.  What happens is that the sun heats the water and it is stored in the system or your tank, ready for use.  It is constantly regulated to keep at your desired heat and can be tied into your grid system to avoid any ‘cold shower’ days.  It is an effective way to reduce your energy costs, but is not entirely ready for a totally ‘off-the-grid’ living home according to some.
The solar system more significantly addresses the energy conservation aspect.  This is not something to be put down, this is a great benefit of going with solar.  In fact, this is how most people will contribute the greatest impact to conservation with water heaters.  It is unlikely that the tankless systems will take over any time soon, though we are hopeful.  Solar energy is an area that is just beginning to emerge as a viable solution in the residential market.

Up until quite recently, there were major issues with solar’s efficiency.  To be frank, there still are.  There are also issues with storage of power.  Battery back-up technology is also improving.  The ideal situation is a place where there is great efficiency of the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy and consistent and reliable energy storage capacity.  One could combine the best of both worlds and use solar energy to power an electrically-powered tankless heater.  Whether or not your solar system would be large enough to handle the demand is not known.  As technologies improve, this will be an area where sustainable design could be doubly beneficial in our homes.  If you’re looking for a way to save energy and don’t like the tankless option, then feel comfortable choosing a solar water heater.

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Categories: Appliances & Fixtures
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